Oveehead crossing



N' o Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

1. H. FARNHAM. V OVERHEAD CROSSING APPLIANCE FOR ELEGT-RIG RAILWAYS.

No. 448,711. Patented Mar. 24, 18 91.

(No Model.) 2 sheetseSheet 2.

I. H. PARNHAM.

OVERHEAD CROSSING APPLIANCE FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS 1n: annals puns cm,FHOTWLITNa, msmuurou, n. 1;.

NlTE STATES Aren't FFICE.

ISAIAH Ii. FARNHAM, OF \VELLESLEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE NElV ENGLANDTELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY, OF BOSTON, 1\IASSACHUSETTS.

OVERHEAD CROSSING APPLIANCE FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,711, dated March24, 1891.

Application filed November 20, 1889. Serial No. 331,142. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISAIAH II. FARNHAM, residing at Vellesley, in thecounty of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have in- 5 vented certainImprovements in Overhead Crossing Appliances for Electric Railways, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the electrical op eration of railways, andcomprises a peculiar [O arrangement of the frogs or crossing appliancesassociated with the contact devices which siide or roll upon orotherwise make contact with the supply line or lines of an-- electrictraction system and which connect I 5 with an electric motor placed uponthe vehicle which is to be moved.

A practical mode of operation for electrical railways is that of placingan electromotor on the car or vehicleto be moved and by extending theterminal or terminals of said motor upward by means of a flexible butsufliciently rigid mast surmounted by suitable contact-makers-such asbrushes or trolleysadapted to bear or roll upon the surface of asupply-wire extended longitudinally over the track, the said wire beingconnected with a suitable source of electricity conveniently lo cated. Asnfficient amount of electricity traversing the said supply-wire is thuscaused to pass through the motor on the car and to energize the same.

My invention is particularlyapplicable to electrical railroads sooperated, where the main electrical conductors are suspended, as abovedescribed, in the air, being suitably supported by means of cross-wiressuspended from poles at the side of the road or otherwise, as may befound convenient. In, such systems of electrically-operated railways thetracks cross each other at an angle, and as a consequence theelectric-power conductors on v the said tracks are also necessitated tocross each other. i

The object of myinvention is to provide at such crossings orintersections between the electric'power line, conductor, or trolleywire(as it is technically termed) of one railway and that of another, one ofthe said lines passing under that of the other, an et'ficient meanswhereby the trolleys or traveling contact-pieces of cars on bothrailways are enabled each to maintain a constant contact with its owntrolley-wire and whereby either is prevented from making contact withthe trolley-wire of the other or from establishing electrical connectionbetween the two cross ing wires. In other words, the contact de vices ofthe cars traversing the railway provided with the higher trolley-wire orpowerconductor of the two at the crossing-point are by my inventionenabled to remain continuously in electrical connect-ion with their ownpower-conductor, notwithstanding the proximity of the lower crossingconductor, which otherwise would prove to be a mechanical obstacle toits progress, and this without any break in the line of said lowerconductor without impairing the capability of the contact devicesassociated with the said lower conductor to remain in constantelectrical contact therewith at such crossing-point, and without forcingthe two conductors into electrical or-mechanical contact.

For the accomplishment. of these ends my invention consists in theprovision at crossing points of an automatically operatedbridgingconnection connected with the upper powenconductor on one orboth sides of the intersecting conductor, and adapted upon the passageof a car on the line of the said upper conductor to establish amechanicallycontinuous bridge around and below the said intersectingconductor, which bridge is adapted to remain in position below thenormallylower conductor during the passage of said car to furnishelectricity therefor and to constitute virtually a temporary section ofthe upper conductor ona plane lower than that of the crossing conductor,which normally is the lower of the two. This bridge-piece is broughtinto action by means of the trolley or contact appliance of the passingcar being struck thereby and forced up into its work ing position, whereit is retained and caused to act as the supply-conductor of the saidtrolley until the same has passed.

Another part of my invention consists in mounting the said bridgeconnection, as hereinafter shown, in such a way that when not actuallyrequired for use as abridge over the crossing conductor it may becapable of antom aticall y withdrawing itself, and being pivotcd to orhung upon a lixture in mechanical connection with one side or the otherof the crossing conductor it may, when the support of the contact deviceof the passing car is Withdrawn, be permitted to swing in a verticalplane where it will cease to bridge over the other conductor, leaving aclear path for the passage of contact devices traversing the line of thesaid other conductor. Such a bridging conductor may hang upon one orboth sides of the crossing conductor, and it is generally moreconvenient to attach one to both sides, so that it can be operated by acar passing in either direction.

The invention consists also in causing the upper crossing conductor toremain electrically continuous at the crossing-point and in providingmeans whereby the lower conductor when traversed shall be prevented frommaking contact therewith. It will be seen that I accomplish this byinterposing an insulating-block between the said two conductors at thepoint of intersection, which iusulating-block is transversely hollowedor grooved for the passage of the lower conductor, and which, moreover,together with the groove within which lies the crossing eonductor, isadapted to be bridged over by the hanging bridge conducting piecealready de-. scribed.

It consists also in combining the said bridging and contact-preventingdevices with the double-trolley system, so called, of car propulsion, inwhich there are two overhead supply-conductors, and in which bothterminals of the car-motors extend upward by means of convenient devicesmaking contact, respectively, with the said two overhead conductors.

My invention, in fact, is more essentially applicable to the efficientoperation of this system than to others, for it is clear that since thetwo supply-conductors thereof are respectively the positive and negativeconductors of a powerful source of electricity, it is absolutelynecessary at poin ts where two lines cross at an angle to preventcontact between the positive conductor of one of the lines and thenegative conductor of the other, which contact would tend toshort-circuit the dynamo and which would be liable to cause generallydisastrous results.

The invention consists, moreover, in combining the instrumentalitiesalready referred to with an insulating hood orcovering placed over eachcrossing-point and adapted to maintain insulation during wet weather.

In the drawings which form a part of this specification, Figure l is alinear elevation of a car actuated by an electromotor receiving itselectric energy from an overhead wire, which is crossed at an angle byasimilar supply-wire, to which crossing my invention is applied. Fig. 2is a side elevation of a detail showing on a large scale my inventionand its mode of operation. Fi 2 is a crosssection on line at ccof Fig.2. h ig. 3 is a plan view of the two intersecting overhead eonduetors,the hood or weather-guard shown in Fig. 23 having been removed. Fig. 4-is a per speetive drawing of a double overhead conductor crossing,showing the special adaptability of the invention to a double conductoror trolley system; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of a hood or weather-guardshown in elevation in Fig. 2.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, which show my invention in itssimplest form, C is a street-railway car running on rails 7', which at rr are crossed by the two rails of another track laid at an angle withthe rails r. The said ear is propelled by an electromotor carriedthereby, (not shown,) which motor receives its electric energy from anoverhead supply-wire to, extended longitudinally over the said track 1'through the flexible and resilient mast Z), which forms or supports asuitable conductor leading to the motor terminal. At the summit of saidmast is a roller or trolleyf, or any equivalent contact-maker, which,being pressed up against the under surface of the wire 21', runs orrolls along the said wire, and, forming a constant traveling contacttherewith, serves to conduct electricity therefrom to the motor.

The principal object of my invention is to facilitate and make practicalthe use of two overhead conductors,one serving as a supply and the otheras a return wire. In such a case there would be two contact-makers, eachleading through its own conductor down the mast to one of the terminalsof the motor; or, if desired, there might be two masts; but thisinvention may also be employed in association with single-trolleysystems, and for the purpose of easy explanation it is so shown in thesedrawings or figures.

Immediately over the crossing track 2" is the sup 'ily-wire a of saidtrack. The wires a and it are so arranged with respect to each otherthat they are at all times reciprocally insulated and can never bebrought into contact. One Way of accomplishing this is to mount, asshown, a block (Z of insulating materialsueh as vulcanized fiber, hardrubber, or hard wood suitably treatedin such a way that its mass is atthe point of intersection interposed between the said two wires. Asshown in Fig. 2, the wire 10 passes through the substance of the block(Z, which is immovably held in place by the clamping blocks or plates 0,and these being at their under surface oppositely inclined, so as toform a plane inclining downward from both directions and having theirlower edge surfaces not materially differing in size and shape from thatof the supply-wire, form an inclined-plane conductor on which thetrolley f may roll to the center downwardly and then up along theopposite one.

At the middle of the under side of the nonconducting block (I I providea groove or recess .2', within which lies the lower conductor 20 of thetwo which cross each other. It will, however, be observed that whilethere is no mechanical obstacle preventing a trolley from maintainingits continuous contact with the wire 10 the presence of theinsulating-block d necessarily causes a gap equal to its length in thetrolley-traveled conducting-surface of the conductor to, in which,however, electrical continuity is maintained by causing the mainconductor to pass through the substance of said block, as indicated indotted lines in Fig. 2.

To provide the necessary conductivity of the trolley-path in the line ofthe conductor 10, I provide, as shown, a suspended conducting-lever c,hung 011 a suitable supportingpinp in the clamp c,and hanging, as shown,in the path of the trolleyf. Such a lever is preferably provided on bothsides of the gap in the surface continuity of the conductor to, althoughif the cars run exclusively in one direction it is not essential toprovide two levers, and one will suffice, that being hung at the sidefrom which the cars approach. In operation this lever performs thefunction of a movable contact piece or bridge, which is hung withsufficient delicacy to respond easily to the impact of the approachingcontact-maker, and which thereupon swings up in front of the same,furnishing a conduct in g-brid ge upon which the said contact-maker canslide or roll, and from which, since the said bridge is electricallyconnected at its supported end with the wire w, it can receiveelectricity. hen thrown up by the contactmaker into its active position,the bridgepieee is of sufficient length to extend completely over theinsulating-piece and to make contact with the clamp c on the other sidethereof. It will not when thrown up come into contact with thecrossing-wire 10 that being embedded in the recess 2, in addition towhich the suspended contact-piece may, if found necessary, be hollowedor bowed out at its upper surface the better to encircle withoutcontingency of contact with the wire 10 In Fig. 2 it is assumed that thecontactmaker f, which here is represented asa roller or trolley, istraveling in the direction of the arrow in full lines. The said trolley,supported on its mast b, is shown as having advanced down the inclinedplane formed by the edge of the right clamp c from the position at theright of the center (where it, as well as the suspended lever e, isindicated in broken lines, and where it is indicated as 55 f) to aposition immediately below the trans- In passing fromthe centralposition to that at the left hand, where it is indicated as f thetrolley necessarily encounters the opposite suspended lever 0; but thesaid levers are so hung that they swing with equal facility in eitherdirection, and when struck by the advancing trolley they are thrown upat once into a recess or flanged hollowbehind thelower surface of theclamp c, where it is indicated in the broken lines, and thus does notoppose the onward motion of the trolley. Thus without any necessary actof a person guiding the car the motion of the car itself establishes thebridge connection, and after the passage of the said car the bridgeautomatically drops itself out of the way, so that the trolley canfreely pass over the intersecting wire 10 It ,is necessary that at suchcrossing-points the operative appliances shall be protected from theweather, so that the insulation shall be properly maintained during wetweather, and for the purpose of preventing corrosion or impairment ofthe working-surfaces; and to this end I supply over each crossing-pointa hood or canopy of any suitable material, which is mounted on theinsulating-block cl by a standard h and adapted to shed water. This isshown in side elevation in Fig. 2 and in plan in Fig. 3i, and maybecircular, square, or any desired form.

Fig. 4 shows the special applicability of my invention to theclouble-trolley system, so called. It shows in perspective the twooverhead conductorsw and Q02 of one track crossed at an angle by the twooverhead conductors to and 10 of a transverse track. The 0011- ductor wis fitted, in the manner hereinbefore indicated, at the point at whichit intersects w with the interposed non-conducting block (Z and itsinclined-plane clamps c and c, the latter of which may extend intocloseproximity to the second crossing conductor wfland-may bere-enforced'on the other side of said wire by an extension m. Theinclined approaches to the insulating -block (Z are thus made gradual,and are also made to assist the traveling trolley over the secondtransverse wire 10 which is not necessarily insulated, as will presentlybe pointed out. The insnlating-block at the intersection of theconductor w is provided with the hanging levers e, as already described,which, as indicated by broken lines, serve as conducting bridging-piecesover the break and over the transverse wire and which remove themselvesout of the way as soon as theyhave performed the required service. Thesame appliances are also provided at the said intersections for the wire10 but in thiscase the said wire is insulatedbyits block d from thesecondcross'ing wire w while it is not necessary to insulate it from w.This will be understood by considering the conditions. In a singleoverhead conductorandtrolley-railwaycrossing another one of the samecharacter at an-angle it is possible to so arrange the overheadconductors that no electrical disadvantages'will accrue if they arebrought into contact. This can be done by providing that the overheadconductors of both lines of road shall represent the same polarity ordirection of electric current. In that case both, for example, beingpositive, a brief contact between them would not be productive ofdisaster. If, however, the two wires which cross each other shouldhappeato be conductors connected with opposing poles of theirrespectivesources of supply, it is evident that a short circuit will ensue whichmay be harmful; but in a system where both positive and negativeconductors are overhead, as in all double trolley systems, it is obviousthat at each crossing'point the two positive cond uctors one on eachroute-must necessarily pass over or under the negative wires on theroute crossed, and it becomes absolutely essential to prevent a contactbetween the positive of one route and the negative of the other, whileon the other hand it is not requisite that the two crossing wirescarrying currents of like direction shall be mutually insulated. Thuswhile in the single overheadconductor system it is merely a wiseprecaution to insulate the two wires crossing each other, in case theymay represent opposing polarities, it is necessary in the case of adouble-conductor system to insulate two of the intersections, because itis certain that each conductor of each polarity must cross one ofopposite polarity. To indicate this condition, the wires 21' and 21",being respectively the outgoing and incoming conductors of one track andadapted to supply current to and receive current from their cars bymeans of the trolleysfto f (indicated in broken lines as traversing fromright to left,) are marked P and N, while the crossing pair of wires 11'and 'u', traversed by the trolleys f and f, are marked, respectively, Nand P.

The objections which have arisen to the construction and operation ofdouble-trolley systems of electric propulsion, based upon the difficultyof safely crossing the negative and positive conductors are by myinvention overcome, and it will be seen that by means of the principalfeature of my invention, which consists of a suspended lever connectedwith one of the trolley-wires and adapted to be struck by the trolleytraversing said wire and thereupon to rise up and form a bridge aroundthe trolley-wire of the opposite polarity,I am enabled to construct anefficient and safe crossing, whereby the necessity of cutting the lowerconductor for the purpose of allowing the passage of trolleys traversingthe upper is dispensed with, which keeps the upper and lower levels oftrolleywires atcritical points at all times well separated electrically,avoiding all chance of destructive contacts, which is of extremesimplicity in construction and operation, and which is automatic.

There are in practice occasionalinstances, of course, where it becomesunnecessaryto maintain the contact of the trolley with theconducting-wire during the passage of a crossingsuch, for example, asmight occur when crossing a descending grade. It is, however, in allcases necessary to retain control of the trolley traversing the upperconductor, and to prevent it from making contact with the lowerconductor as it crosses the same. In such cases the bridge need notnecessarily be of conducting material, since it will only be used as amechanical bridge and as aguide for its trolley, the car moving for abrief space by its momentum. The upper conductor is, however,necessarily in all cases made continuous, and, as already explained, bythe adoption of the bridge expedient its continuity is readily secured.

Another and prominent feature of my invention is that the crossingdevices are ap plied to any and all of the electric-power-conductorwires without cutting the same, and introducing the said devices betweenthe severed ends, thus avoiding the consequent weaknesses anddisadvantages which would arise from so doing. \Vhen a new routeis laidout to cross at an angle a route already in operation, it is notrequired to cut the said wires of the old route, but the devices aresecured thereto without in any way disturbing them, and when the saidelectricpower-conducting wires are put in place and stretched (andmaintained) to the required tension the full tensile strength of thecontinuous wire is preserved, and the weakness which would be developedfrom the many joints in the line if the wires were cut at the crossings,by reason of the fact that a joint has not the strength of thecontinuous wire and thatlosses of electric current due to bad jointsfrom insuflicient contacts and corrosions would ensue, is avoided.

I claim 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore described, ofintersecting electricsupply conductors for an electric railway, with oneor more automatically-operated conducting bridging sections thereforelectrically connected with one of the said conductors, each bridgebeing a movable section of the upper trolley-conductor,of suitablelength and shape, hanging in the path of the traveling contact, whichmovable section is adapted to be struck by the said traveling contactand thereupon forced into a position to complete the track for thepassagetl1ereof,but acting at allother times by its own gravity to fallaway from said track and to maintain the discontinuity of saidtrolley-track, for the purposes specified.

2. In an electric railway having overhead supply-wires and at aerossing-point thereof, the combination of supply-conductors crossing orintersectil'ig each other upon different levels or planes, and means forconducting the trolley tlZtYOlSll'lg the upper conductor around thelower conductor and for continuously maintaining the electricalconnection of said trolley with its said supply-conductor,

ductor to form a movable and temporary sec-- tion of said conductorbridging around the lower conductor and the interposed insulation forthe passage and feed of said travelmg contact, whereby the saidtraveling contact may pass from one side to the other of the crossingconductor without interfering with the continuity thereof and without being disconnected from its own conductor, and a protecting hood orweather-guard mounted on said insulating-block and adapted to shed waterand maintain the insulation of the apparatus, Substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination, in an electric railway,

of a supply-00nd uctor adapted to be engaged by a traveling contact, asecond supply-con ductor crossing the first at an angle, means, such asa non-conducting block, for permanently separating the said conductors,and a movable section'of the first conductor capable of bridging thesaid separating medium and the second conductor and adapted to bebrought into position so as to serve by the passage of the travelingcontact, and thereupon to furnish a conducting-path for the saidcontact, but normally hanging from the first supply-conductor at oneside of the point of intersection, whereby the traveling contacts of thesecond supply may pass without being obstructed by the said movablesection, substantially as described.

5. In a double-trolley electricrailway, direct and return electricconductors or powerlines crossing a similar double-wire system at anangle, each conductor of both sets being suitably insulated by aninterposed non-conducting block from its crossing conductor of oppositepolarity, and automatic bridging de vices at the said insulatedintersections adapted to establish for the transit of the travelingcontacts of the conductors of the higher plane a temporary path aroundand under their crossing conductors, substantially as and for thepurposes specified.

6. The combination,in an electric railway, of a supply-conductor adaptedto be engaged by a traveling contact, a second and similarsupply-conductor crossing the first at an angle therewith and on a lowerhorizontal plane, a non-conducting block interposed between saidconductors at the point of intersection, the first conductor passingthrough and supporting the same and the second passing in a transversegroove or recess in the lower surface thereof, clamps holding the saidinsulatin g-block in place and forming inclined planes from theconducting-surface of the first supply-conductor on either side of thesaid block to the plane of the lower surface of said block, movableconducting-sections pivoted to the said clamps and capable of beingswung in a vertical direction therefrom, the said sections beingnormallyhung out of the line of the transverse secondsupply-conductor,for the purpose specified, but adapted to be swung intoconnection with the opposite clamp by the transit of a travelingcontact, and thereupon to bridge the said insulating-block and thetransverse conductor embedded therein, and to constitute, in combinationwith the said inclined planes on either side,aconducting path across thelower surface of said insulating-block for the passage'of said travelingcontact, substantially as described.

7. The combination, in an electric-railway crossing, of an electricconductor or powerline divided into two parallel branches, one of thesaid branches being permanently closed or continuous and the other beingnormally open, a second power-line crossing the first at an angle andpassing between the closed and normally-open branches thereof, anonconducting mass electrically separating the said two power-lines andgrooved across its lower surface for the reception of the said secondpower-line, traveling contacts for the first lines, and means,substantially as indicated, actuated thereby for closing thenormallyopen branch thereof and for maintaining the same closed duringthe passage of said traveling contact over the crossing,where-' by thesaid branch is formed into a path for the said contact over the face ofsaid insulating-block and around and on a plane below the said crossingconductor, for the purposes specified. I

8. The combination of two sets of double conductors or power-linescrossing each other and each adapted to be traversed byatravelingcontact, the positive wire of each set being suitably insulated orprevented from coming in contact with the negative wire of the otherset, with pivoted conducting-levers at the said insulated intersectionshanging from the uppermost conductors, the said levers normally beinghung upon one or both sides of the line of the intersectingconductor, soas to leave the said line free for the passage of its traveling contactsand being, when displaced, capable of automatically resuming theirnormal position and being adapted to be actuated by the travelingcontacts of their own lines and to be swung thereby in a vertical planeinto a substantially horizontal position, establishing the continuity ofsaid line, and a path for the passage of the said actuatingcontactsbelow and around the crossing conductors, whereby such crossings may beof fected without liabilityto short-circuitingand Without impairing thecontinuity of the lower main conductors.

9. In combination with two sets of crossing conductors or power-lines ofelectric railways, each set comprising a positive and a negativeconductor, the conductors of the one set pass- ISO ing under those oftheother and bothadapted to be engaged by under-running trolleys ortraveling contacts, a temporary automatically established anddisestablished conductingpath connected with the conductors of thehigher plane and extending below the conductors of the lower plane atthe intersections of the positive conductor of each set with thenegative conductor of the other, whereby the underrunning trolleys ofthe said higher set of conductors are enabled to pass under the saidlower set of conductors, substantially as described.

10. In an electric railway having for each track two overhead mainconductors or powerlines, the combination, with two sets of suchpower-lines crossing each other at an angle, of an insulating-blockinterposed between the positive conductor of each set and the negativeconduetorof the other set at the intersections thereof, thelower planeconductor being depressed below the interior surface of saidinsulating-block, and a temporaryconductingtrolley path for the trolleyof the conductor of the higher plane below and around the conductor ofthe lower plane, established during the passage of said trolley, thesaid conducting-path being composed of conducting inclined-planeabutinents in connection on either side of said insulation with thehigher conductor, and a self-acting bridge-piece normally suspended byone end from the said abutments to leave the crossing conductorunbridged, but adapted to have its free end thrown up and brought intocontact with the opposite abutment, and thereby to complete the saidcomlucting-trolley path when required, substantially as set forth.

11. In an electric railway having for each track two overhead mainconductors or powerlines, the combination, with two sets of suchpower-lines crossing each other at an angle, of an insulating-blockinterposed between the 1 ositive conductor of each set. and the negativeeonductorof the other set,thelower plane conductor being depressed belowthe under surface of said insulation, conducting inclined-planeabutments aftixed to the higher conductor and in electricalconnectiontherewith, the said planes forming a trolley-path to the plane of thelower conductor for the traveling contact of the upper conductor, and afreely-moving conducting bridge-piece suspended by one of its enc s fromone orboth of said abutments and adapted to bridge acrosstheinsulating-surface and crossing conductor when struck by thetraveling contact of the said upper conductor, and thereby to completethe said trolley-path between the two opposing abntments, whereby thetrolley of the upper conductor is enabled at crossings to pass below thelower conductor without being disconnected from its supply-line and toautomatically fall through the influence of gravity to its normalposition, leaving clear the path of the lower conductor for itstraveling contacts after the said upper contact has passed.

12. In an electric railway having overhead supply-wires and at acrossing-point thereof, the combination of continuous supply-conductorscrossing or intersecting each other upon different levels or planes, andmeans for conducting the trolley traversing the upper condnctoraroundthe lower conductor and for continuously maintaining the electricalconnection of said trolley with its said supplyconductor, substantiallyas specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this ltth day of November, 1889.

ISAIAH ll. FARNIIAM.

Witnesses:

Gno. \VILLIS PIERCE, FRANK C. LocKwooD.

